Hazard suppression systems have long been employed for protecting areas containing valuable equipment or components, such as art galleries, data centers, and computer rooms. Traditionally, these systems utilize Halon, which is ideal for hazard suppression because it is capable of very quickly suppressing a hazard, it can be stored at relatively low pressures, and only a relatively small quantity is required.
However, in recent years the adverse environmental effects of Halon on the ozone have become evident, and many governmental agencies have banned further use of Halon. In some countries, existing Halon systems are being replaced by systems using more environmentally friendly inert gases such as nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, and mixtures thereof. Unlike the Halon-based fire suppression systems, inert gas-based systems use natural gases and do not contribute to atmospheric ozone depletion.
Combustion occurs when fuel, oxygen, and heat are present in sufficient amounts to support the ignition of flammable material. Inert gas fire suppression systems are based on reducing the level of oxygen in an enclosure to a level that will not sustain combustion. In order to extinguish a fire, inert gas stored in a large number of high-pressure cylinders is released into the enclosure to reduce the concentration of oxygen by displacing oxygen with the inert gas until combustion is extinguished. Typically, ambient air comprises 21% concentration by volume of oxygen. This concentration must be reduced to below 14% to effectively extinguish the fire. To reach this objective, a relatively large volume of gas must be released.
There are health and safety implications for facility personnel, particularly in relation to the reduction of oxygen in the atmosphere once the system is discharged. Careful calculation is required to ensure that the concentration of inert gas released is sufficient to control combustion, yet not so high as to pose a serious risk to personnel.
The replacement of Halon with inert gas for fire protection presents two issues with the system design. First, the delivery of a large amount of gas into a protected room within a short period time (fire codes in some countries require that the gas be delivered in less than one minute) may generate overpressure in the room which could potentially damage equipment in the room. Current industrial practice is to use a special, expensive vent in the room to prevent the overpressure. Second, unlike Halon, inert gas is stored under normal room temperature in gaseous form, rather than liquid form. To reduce the storage vessel volume, a very high pressure is preferred, typically around 100 bar. As a result, the gas distribution system must be capable of withstanding extremely high pressures. These two limitations are key factors in the cost of both new installation and retrofit.
The overpressure in the protected room is primarily caused by an uneven discharge of the inert gas from the pressure vessel. The pressure in the gas vessel decays exponentially during gas release, so the overpressure typically occurs in the first few seconds of the discharge. If the gas release can be throttled to a fairly uniform pressure profile over the duration of the discharge, overpressure in the protected room can be prevented while ensuring that the predetermined amount of inert gas is delivered within the required time.
Throttling the gas flow requires a valve with a controllable variable opening area. While this can be performed by a closed-loop servo valve, high initial and maintaining costs make it an unfavorable approach for fire protection. In addition, the increased system complexity of a closed-loop control can also introduce reliability concerns.